hate crimes Tag

I'm in Oak Creek today to commemorate the four-year anniversary of a mass shooting on Sikh Americans. On August 5, 2012, a white supremacist opened fire in a Sikh gurdwara in this small town in Wisconsin, spilling blood in a place of prayer and peace. He killed six people and wounded many more. The tragedy too quickly fell out of national memory.
But that's not why I keep coming back.
As a Sikh, all my life I have been taught “chardi kala” – the spirit of optimism and revolutionary

A brutal hate crime on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary has once again shaken the Sikh community. Last week, Inderjit Singh Mukker, a Sikh father was beaten in Chicago as a man called him “terrorist” and “bin Laden.” This happened in the suburb of Darien where my husband grew up. Our first reaction was sadness and overwhelming fatigue.
Tomorrow marks the 14-year anniversary of the first post-9/11 hate crime murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi, whose story we tell in our film Divided We Fall. Now as new

This article was originally published in The Washington Post.
Gunshots in a sanctuary of peace. Cries of terror where people sing God’s name. Blood in the prayer hall. A community shaken by hate but coming together to sing, pray and forgive even before they’ve laid the dead to rest.
This is what happened three years ago in Oak Creek, Wis., when a white supremacist opened fire in a Sikh house of worship on a Sunday morning and killed six people. It was one of the deadliest attacks on a faith community

Click here to add your prayer or message of solidarity for the families of Charleston in the wake of the AME shooting.
Within hours, Groundswell, Auburn Seminary’s online platform, collected and continues to deliver some 8,000 prayers from people of all faiths and beliefs in response to the horrific murders at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Some of America’s top faith leaders shared their prayers, heartbreak, and humanity and we offer them here:
“There were gun shots in a place of prayer and peace. Cries of terror filled the

The shocking news out of Chapel Hill tears at my heart – 3 young Muslim students murdered in their home by an extremist with a gun.
Many of our friends in the Muslim community are feeling alone, and wondering why this tragedy isn't getting the attention it deserves.
In the midst of so much pain and suffering, let us stand with our Muslim American brothers and sisters. Please join me in offering a prayer or message in solidarity.
Click here to offer your solidarity, love, or prayer.
We'll share your prayers with

Published by Huffington Post.
HuffPost Religion celebrates the Sikh American community and all of its diverse accomplishments. These eight people have made headlines for a wide variety of achievements, from athletic prowess to human rights leadership. Meet the future of America's Sikh community here:
Prabhjot Singh
Prabhjot Singh, a professor at Columbia University, sustained serious injuries after being subjected to a brutal hate crime attack. In a blog about the incident, his friend Simran Jeet Singh said that "Prabhjot has dedicated his life to serving the underserved," as Director of Systems Management at the

Published on Melissa Harris-Perry Blog, MSNBC.
Last Saturday night, a young man dropped his wife and one-year old at home and went for a walk in Harlem. Soon thereafter, he heard “Get Osama!”
Twenty men on bicycles chased him down, pulled his beard, and punched him to the ground. The blows would not stop as his assailants called him a “terrorist.” When bystanders came to his aid, he was rushed to the hospital, his face bloody and bruised, and his jaw fractured.
The victim, Dr. Prabhjot Singh, is a young professor

Published on the Melissa Harris-Perry Blog, MSNBC.
One year after a gunman murdered six people and wounded many more at a Sikh house of worship in Oak Creek, WI, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Justice Department will begin tracking hate crimes against Sikh Americans and six other groups for the first time in U.S. history. Sikh-Americans, along with Hindus, Arabs, Buddhists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Orthodox Christians who are victims of hate crimes will finally be counted on the Hate Crime Incident Report form.
Adding specific categories

I had the profound honor to help MC the candlelight vigil held in Oak Creek, Wisconsin tonight. One year after the mass shooting at the Sikh house of worship, more than one thousand people came together for a night of prayer, music, testimonies, and remembrance. The following are my opening and closing remarks:
Welcome to the community of Oak Creek and those joining from their homes around the country and worldwide. I’m deeply honored to stand here with you tonight. One year ago, I arrived in Oak Creek

Published on Huffington Post.
One year ago this morning, a lone gunman walked into a house of worship and stalked the prayer hall, communal kitchen and living rooms. Wherever he saw people, he lifted his gun without expression and fired. He killed six people and critically wounded others, including a police officer.
The August 5, 2012 mass shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin received national attention for a few days, but then faded into the background as one in a list of mass shootings last year. One year later, people

About Valarie

Valarie Kaur is a seasoned civil rights activist, award-winning filmmaker, lawyer, faith leader, and founder of The Revolutionary Love Project. She harnesses love as a shared practice to fight for social justice. She believes “the way we make change is just as important as the change we make.”

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